Dying is a lonely journey. Not only for the sick person but also for the family. As hard as we may try to avoid death, the truth is that we do a lousy job of it. Science and medicine will certainly postpone it, even staying healthy might seem to delay it, but the harsh reality is that death does not wait for you, it does not ask you, and it does not listen to you. Death ignores your feelings and wants; you do not matter to death…Death is the only certainty in life! We need to remember that our existence here is fragile, and we never have as much time with people as we think we do. If there is someone or someones out there that you love, don’t neglect that and don’t put off engaging with them because waits for no-one… Vic's Journey ended on 18 January 2013 at 10:35. She was the most courageous person in the world and has inspired thousands of people all over the world. Vic's two boys are monuments of her existence. She was an amazing mother, daughter, sister and friend. I will miss you today, tomorrow and forever my Angle Child.

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What is the difference between Alzheimers and Dementia?

What is the difference between Alzheimers and Dementia?In a nutshell, dementia is a symptom, and AD is the cause of the symptom. When someone is told they have dementia, it means that they have significant memory problems as well as other cognitive difficulties, and that these problems are severe enough to get in the way of daily living…..

Too often, patients and their family members are told by their doctors that the patient has been diagnosed with “a little bit of dementia.” They leave the doctor’s visit with a feeling of relief that at least they don’t have Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

There is great confusion about the difference between “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s disease.” The confusion is felt on the part of patients, family members, the media, and even healthcare providers. This article provides information to reduce the confusion by defining and describing these two common and often poorly understood terms.

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?

“Dementia” is a term that has replaced a more out-of-date word, “senility,” to refer to cognitive changes with advanced age.

Dementia includes a group of symptoms, the most prominent of which is memory difficulty with additional problems in at least one other area of cognitive functioning, including language, attention, problem solving, spatial skills, judgment, planning, or organization. These cognitive problems are a noticeable change compared to the person’s cognitive functioning earlier in life and are severe enough to get in the way of normal daily living, such as social and occupational activities.

A good analogy to the term dementia is “fever.” Fever refers to an elevated temperature, indicating that a person is sick. But it does not give any information about what is causing the sickness. In the same way, dementia means that there is something wrong with a person’s brain, but it does not provide any information about what is causing the memory or cognitive difficulties. Dementia is not a disease; it is the clinical presentation or symptoms of a disease.

There are many possible causes of dementia. Some causes are reversible, such ascertain thyroid conditions or vitamin deficiencies. If these underlying problems are identified and treated, then the dementia reverses and the person can return to normal functioning.

However, most causes of dementia are not reversible. Rather, they are degenerative diseases of the brain that get worse over time. The most common cause of dementia is AD, accounting for as many as 70-80% of all cases of dementia.

Approximately 5.3 million Americans currently live with AD. As people get older, the prevalence of AD increases, with approximately 50% of people age 85 and older having the disease.

It is important to note, however, that although AD is extremely common in later years of life, it is not part of normal aging. For that matter, dementia is not part of normal aging. If someone has dementia (due to whatever underlying cause), it represents an important problem in need of appropriate diagnosis and treatment by a well-trained healthcare provider who specializes in degenerative diseases.

In a nutshell, dementia is a symptom, and AD is the cause of the symptom.

When someone is told they have dementia, it means that they have significant memory problems as well as other cognitive difficulties, and that these problems are severe enough to get in the way of daily living.

Most of the time, dementia is caused by the specific brain disease, AD. However, some uncommon degenerative causes of dementia include vascular dementia (also referred to as multi-infarct dementia), frontotemporal dementia, Lewy Body disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Contrary to what some people may think, dementia is not a less severe problem, with AD being a more severe problem. There is not a continuum with dementia on one side and AD at the extreme. Rather, there can be early or mild stages of AD, which then progress to moderate and severe stages of the disease.

One reason for the confusion about dementia and AD is that it is not possible to diagnose AD with 100% accuracy while someone is alive. Rather, AD can only truly be diagnosed after death, upon autopsy when the brain tissue is carefully examined by a specialized doctor referred to as a neuropathologist.

During life, a patient can be diagnosed with “probable AD.” This term is used by doctors and researchers to indicate that, based on the person’s symptoms, the course of the symptoms, and the results of various tests, it is very likely that the person will show pathological features of AD when the brain tissue is examined following death.

In specialty memory clinics and research programs, such as the BU ADC, the accuracy of a probable AD diagnosis can be excellent. And with the results of exciting new research, such as that being conducted at the BU ADC, the accuracy of AD diagnosis during life is getting better and better.

This contribution was made by Dr. Robert Stern, Director of the BU ADC Clinical Core.

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tersiaburger

I am a sixty something wife,mother, sister, grandmother and friend. I started blogging as a coping mechanism during my beautiful daughter's final journey. Vic was desperately ill for 10 years after a botched back operation.
Vic's Journey ended on 18 January 2013 at 10:35. She was the most courageous person in the world and has inspired thousands of people all over the world. Vic's two boys are monuments of her existence. She was an amazing mother, daughter, sister and friend.
I will miss you today, tomorrow and forever my Angle Child.
https://tersiaburger.wordpress.com
View all posts by tersiaburger

13 thoughts on “What is the difference between Alzheimers and Dementia?”

A very thoughtful awareness-raising post.
I had no idea that Ad ran as high as fifty per cent in over eighty-five’s.
Is it known why some people get it early – I know it’s got nothing to do with ‘using the brain’; for instance, an ex British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, once a brilliant economist at Oxford, developed what was called ‘a memory disease’ at sixty, but I don’t know if it was AD…

Tersia, I am still trying to copy that banner for the Family Award, I really did appreciate it and try to accept…Goodness knows how other people managed to copy it.

Lucinda, I actually believe only intelligent people get AD. My Dad was one of the most intelligent people I know, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Rita Hayworth, Henry Ford, Charles Bronson to mention a few… I also battle, but I think if you Right-Click the award picture you will be able to save it as a JPEG in a file on your PC. Then you insert it as am Image Widget. Don’t stress!!!!!

This is very helpful, Tersia. I have gone through questioning my mother’s dementia and feeling confused about her deterioration not knowing what the cause was. She was never diagnosed with Alzheimers. She can barely speak now, but I know she still recognizes me – and for that I am grateful. You are so wonderful to take the time to write posts that are informative like this. Thinking of you on Father’s Day. I know you are deeply missing your dad and aching for Vicky. It is beyond aching! Feel my love and hugs across the world.

Thank you dear Judy! There is a wonderful support group with so much information – http://www.caring.com/my/group I would never of understood or coped with my dad’s AD without them. Good luck – it is a horrible disease.

Fabulously informative and well written tersia. I loved how you outlined the difference and your analogy to a fever.
You have provided a great deal of education here.My Dear Friend, Thank you for sharing such a valuable post ~

Thanks for writing this. My mother lived to be 99 1/2 years of age and still had her good mind, I’m getting up in years now, myself, so I’m hoping I’ll take after my mother! My heart goes out to those who struggle with AD with their parents or other loved ones.